Tilaka is sometimes called the ornamentation of the spirit soul. The decoration, made by applying wet clay mixture, marks the body as a temple of Viṣṇu, the Supreme Lord. The Vaiṣṇava devotee marks his body in twelve places for sanctification and protection, and one who is wearing tilaka can at once be identified as a devotee of the Lord. Just as one can recognize that the strength of the government is behind a uniformed policeman, one can understand that the strength of God is behind a devotee marked with tilaka.

One should pour a little water into the palm of his/her left hand and rub gopī-candana (mud from Dvārakā) into it. When making tilaka the following mantra from the Uttara Khaṇḍa of the Padma Purāṇa should be chanted: